Taiwan People's Party Leader Hits Back at Corruption Allegations

The leader of the Taiwan People's Party, Ko Wen-je, is brushing off allegations of fraud in a scandal that’s engulfing his party.

Transcript

00:00Well, the pressure is piling on Kerr.

00:02He's facing mounting allegations and investigations

00:05into his presidential run, where he took on Taiwan's

00:08two main political parties and upset the two-party system

00:12here in Taiwan.

00:13The message from him today is basically, bring it on.

00:16I've got nothing to hide.

00:19But of course, the pressure is mounting

00:21over that $500,000 US of political funds

00:24that weren't properly declared.

00:26And the controversy has already taken in people

00:29connected to his campaign.

00:30There's been people called in for questioning.

00:33Officers have been raided.

00:34And his political number two, a woman named Vivian Huang,

00:37she has stepped down from her leadership

00:39position of the party.

00:41As you can imagine, reporters have been following Kerr today.

00:44They asked him what he thinks about the investigations

00:47and if it can be considered a political witch hunt.

00:59So what next for Kerr and his political party?

01:06Well, of course, the first thing we're

01:08going to be looking out for is whether he is indeed

01:10called in for questioning, and then

01:12whether he's listed as a defendant in any case that's

01:15brought.

01:16Meanwhile, support for his political party, the TPP,

01:20is slumping.

01:21That party, they hold the balance of power

01:24in Taiwan's legislature.

01:26They've been working together with the main opposition party

01:28the KMT to pass controversial reforms that are going

01:31after the executive branch.

01:34Kerr himself, he's a bit of a rising star.

01:36People have been looking at him as a serious contender

01:39for the 2028 presidential elections.

01:42All of that political ambition, of course,

01:43now at risk as the net continues to tighten around him.

01:48Justin Wu and Rick Lowatt in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.